RUMC April 5, 2009
Palm Sunday
THE DISCIPLES
The Disciples must have thought “Finally Jesus was getting what he deserves!” After three years of traveling and teaching and crowds pressing him for help, and Pharisees trying to trick him, he was finally being treated like a king.
They had seen him rejected in this town and that. They had seen him dusty and hot and dirty from traveling all the back roads. It must have been exhausting to heal and teach. Teach and heal. It must have been exhausting to explain the same thing over, and over, and over, to those who seemed unable or unwilling to understand.
He deserved better than that! He gave them everything he had. He never turned anyone away. He healed the lame and the blind, and the possessed. He raised the dead and counseled sinners. He accepted tax collectors and lepers, rich and poor, Jews and foreigners. He gave everything he had, but he received no recognition. No appreciation. His opponents never even gave him a break on the Sabbath. They were always looking for a way to trap him.
He never wanted any of this kind of royal treatment before. He was never willing to accept any special attention for himself. He was never interested in being treated special in any way.
But now. Now his time had come. The time was ripe. It wasn’t hard to stir up a crowd. Many people were in Jerusalem for the Passover and they were ready for a new king. All the disciples had to do was get it started. A few friends, a few palm branches, dress that donkey up a little by covering it with their robes so it looks more kingly and voila! A king.
THE DONKEY
As far as we know Jesus hadn’t ridden a donkey in the three years of his ministry. He walked everywhere he went. He walked with the disciples. He walked with the sinners. He walked along the dusty dirty dangerous roads of Israel. He never wanted any special treatment. This day, however, he sent for a donkey.
It wasn’t the great white stallion on which they would have liked to see the king. They would have rather it was a fearsome warhorse, maybe with some gleaming armor and a beautiful chariot behind. They would have liked to see him gallop in to save the day.
But he came on a simple donkey. Well, it raised him up above the crowd. It gave him special attention. It was at least a little more fitting for his status and role as King.
He wasn’t the first king to ride a donkey. After his inauguration , the great King Solomon rode his father, David’s, favorite mule into Jerusalem.
And there was something else. Jesus specified that this be a young donkey that had never before been ridden. This was remarkable because the young donkey was willing to be ridden but even more important because only animals that had never been used as a beast of burden could be used for sacred purposes like carrying the messiah.
Zechariah (9:9) had prophesied something very much like this:Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you; righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
This was more than a political parade. This was a sacred event.
THE CROWDS
The people in the crowd must have been thrilled. They had come to Jerusalem for the Passover. They came to celebrate God’s liberation of the Israelite slaves from Egyptian taskmasters. You know the plagues, the blood on the lintel, the crossing of the red sea, the army of Pharaoh washed away as they pursued.
But now they thought they had an opportunity to see another exodus. An exodus of the Israelites from the hands of the Roman Empire. I don’t think most of the crowd had any idea that this was God’s son. I don’t think most of them had any indication that this was what it was. Most of them thought this was a Jewish king come to claim authority in Jerusalem. I’m sure many expected a battle to follow. In fact the massive Roman military presence was almost certain to quell this excitement any time now.
But until then it was a festive occasion. The road was jammed with pilgrims. The parade moved slowly as people made way for the donkey carrying Jesus.
The excitement grew with every step. Hosanna- which means “help” or ‘save us” began to be heard in the crowd. Hosanna, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna. This verse from Psalm 118 was commonly used as a greeting between pilgrims on the way to Jerusalem. But here, coupled with hosanna, it becomes a proclamation of Royalty. An affirmation that their king had finally come.
THE PALMS
And they cut palm branches. Palm branches were probably abundant and convenient. But it was more than that.
The last time Israel was free with her own king was almost 200 years ago when “the Hammer” Judas Maccabeus overthrew the seluciad empire to claim Israelite independence. That’s what the feast of Hanukkah is about. The reclaiming and rededication of the temple after the Mcabean revolt. He had a symbol for his victory. The palm branch. He printed it on coins and used them as the symbol of his victory. Now those same branches are being waved as Jesus goes by on a donkey.
The problem with palm branches is as soon as they are cut, they begin to die. When they are cut from the tree they don’t last long. And neither will the shouts of the crowd. In a few days they will be shouting not Hosanna, but what <<<>>>
Like the short lived palm branches the crowd’s excitement will be short lived. In a few days they will be waving not palm branches, but what? <<
Like the short lived palms the cloaks spread before him won’t last long, soon instead of a royal cloak, Jesus will be covered with what? < <<>>>
Like the short lived palm branches donkey ride won’t last long. His next ride will not be on a white stallion or even a donkey, but on what? <<>>
Like the palm branches the disciples will not last long either. One by one they will all fall away; Judas, Peter, all the rest, until it is just John standing alone with Jesus mother, Mary, at the foot of the cross watching him die.
How about us? How long will we last?
The story is horrible. The events of the coming week are unthinkable:
The footwashing,
the haunting words “This is my body and this is my blood”,
The betrayal “Go do what you must”
The garden “Can’t you stay awake and pray with me just a little while?”
The trial “Are you the king of the Jews”
The sentencing “Crucify him!”
The mocking “here’s a crown- O king- a crown of thorns”
The beating . . . the blood
The carrying of the cross
The nails . . . more blood
The disrespect “if you’re so great, come down off that cross”
The despair “My God my God why have you forsaken me”
The last “it is finished”
The problem with palm branches is they don’t last very long.
How about you?
Even when you know it isn’t finished- even knowing that good Friday is not the end of the story how long will you last?
How far will you follow?
Will you leave your sins there and follow beyond to the empty grave?
Will you pick up your own cross and follow him with your own life?
Will you lay down your old self and follow him to glory?
Will you go all the way up the hill to the place of the skull but stop just short of the place of death?
Will you take a few steps to the cross?
Will you run away before the trial?
Will you stay on the road with the palm branches and die?
The problem with palms is they are an awful lot like us.
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